CORNWALL, Ontario – It took hours to reopen the westbound lanes of Highway 401 thanks to a collision involving a tractor-trailer and a dump truck that spilled tar all over the busy thoroughfare.
Police said the vehicles collided near Power Dam Drive, and one of the machines spilled a huge quantity of tar that had gummed up the highway.
Witnesses who spoke with Seaway News said the backup of traffic on the highway ran for kilometres east of the city.
The 401’s westbound lanes between Brookdale Avenue and Power Dam Drive were closed for several hours and traffic was rerouted via detours.
“The cleanup (was) a little more involved, because of the tar,” said OPP Const. Joel Doiron.
He added there were minor injuries associated with the accident.
Police said a Freightliner transport, driven by a 22-year-old male from Granby, Que., was westbound on Highway 401 when he collided with a disabled International dump truck that was parked on the north shoulder of the highway and also collided with a Kenworth transport, driven by a 33 year old female from Trois-Rivieres, Que., which was in the passing lane of the highway beside the Freightliner.
The driver of the Freightliner suffered minimal injuries.
